Home Page

Region 1 Technical Assistance Center
for Parent Centers
@SPAN (Statewide Parent Advocacy Network, Inc.)
35 Halsey St., 4th Floor
Newark, NJ 07102
973-642-8100 x102
Project Co-Directors: Debra Jennings and Diana Autin

Region 1 Annual Conference

The Region I Technical Assistance Center, in collaboration with the Alliance for Parent Centers, provides technical assistance to federally-funded parent centers -- Parent Training and Information Centers (PTIs) and Community Parent Resource Centers (CPRCs) – located in the states of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont.

These Parent Centers are independent non-profit organizations. Secondary clients for our work include emerging parent centers and parent organizations serving families of children with disabilities. In addition, we work with education agencies (local, state and federal level) seeking information regarding best practices in involving parents of children with disabilities in systems improvement.

Our services:

§ Enhancing the capacity of parent centers to provide effective services to families of children with special needs and to work effectively with their states to improve special education systems; and,

§ Facilitate their connections to the larger technical assistance network that supports research-based training, including educating parents about effective practices that improve results for children with disabilities.

We offer:

On-site technical assistance,

Technical assistance via telephone and e-mail;

Regular conference calls and bulletin boards for effective communication between parent centers;

Annual regional conference;

Financial support for center-driven capacity building activities; and

A regional database of training materials in multiple languages and accessible formats (as part of a national database).

The areas for assistance provided by the Region 1-TAC include: improving nonprofit management processes; non-profit board development; strategies for reaching and serving underserved and underrepresented populations; strategies and processes for measuring program effectiveness and making changes as needed in their programs and approaches; tools and training to maximize computer and technology capabilities; and strengthening the collaborative bonds between PTIs and CPRCs, other federally-funded agencies, and other organizations working to improve outcomes for children with special needs and their families. In addition, information, and training in the following content areas is available to the parent centers served: No Child Left Behind Act, special education and related services, systemic reform, laws and regulations, alternative dispute resolution, networking, collaboration, and establishing and sustaining “communities of practice.”

TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE

FOR PARENT CENTERS